Curious Customs (UK, 2019)

Posted on August 7, 2019 by VSC

[press release]
UK’S Curious Customs Celebrated with a Set of Special Stamps Royal Mail has revealed eight colourful and engaging illustrations, depicting and capturing the spirit of well-known, and some not so well-known, annual customs that take place around the UK. The stamps celebrate the eclectic mix of annual customs and festivals that take place across the UK. Royal Mail worked with award-winning folklorist Steve Roud on the stamp issue

Many of these customs involve dancing, singing, dressing up and – literally – playing with fire.

The curious customs depicted on the stamps are:

Burning the Clocks, Brighton
‘Obby ‘Oss, Padstow
The World Gurning Championships, Egremont
Up Helly Aa, Lerwick
Cheese Rolling, Cooper’s Hill, Brockworth
Halloween, Derry/Londonderry
Horn Dance, Abbots Bromley
Bog Snorkelling, Llanwrtyd Wells

Some customs are often geared to natural stages of the year, or seasons, while others are linked to religious festivals and saints’ days, sporting events or specific occupations.

Due to a remarkable renaissance in the second half of the 20th century, communities began taking renewed pride in their colourful folk heritage. Defunct customs were revived, while others adapted or created events to produce new traditions – for fun and for good causes.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail, said: “Communities throughout the UK have been coming together for centuries to share distinctive traditions and mark key dates of the year. These customs continue to evolve, and our new stamps celebrate their diversity and the communities that maintain them.”

To accompany the stamp issue, Royal Mail commissioned a poem by performance poet Matt Harvey. Entitled, ‘Customs and Exercise’, the poem celebrates and commemorates the eight UK customs featured on the stamps.

“Customs and Exercise” by Matt Harvey

No matter what the custom is
We’re accomplices, not customers.
Magnificent participants in quirky endeavour
In curious costumes in inclement weather.

We’re guisers, we’re teasers, we’re chasers of cheeses
Boat-builders, clock burners, we’re vampires, we’re gurners.
We’re match-striking Vikings, we’re antler-lockers
‘Obby ‘Oss swoopers, Elfan safety snook-cockers.
We’re Cheerleaders, chortlers, we’re snorkelers, bog-sodden
We’re Ghouls in cagoules, fools ancient and modern.

It’s a dance with the past, it’s a craic, it’s a laugh.
Connection in every direction, belonging.
We might get a pint and an off-colour song in.

But what can get lost in the mist and missed in the fuss
Is that at the heart of all these customs
Is us.

The stamps and a range of collectible products are available now from www.royalmail.com/curiouscustoms, by phone on 03457 641 641 and in 7,000 Post Offices throughout the UK

Burning The Clocks, Brighton
Created in 1993 by community arts charity Same Sky, Burning the Clocks is a new custom, based on a parade, designed to promote a feeling of community pride. The procession is open to all, and participants carry the lanterns they have made from paper and willow, often decorated with clock motifs, through the streets and down to the beach. There, the lanterns are passed onto a bonfire, allowing time for reflection and thought to mark the year’s end, and celebrations continue with fireworks. The symbolism of ‘time passing’ is appropriate to the date: 21 December, being the shortest day of the year.

’Obby ’Oss, Padstow
Two strange beasts called Osses (but barely resembling horses) swirl and sway through the streets of the Cornish town of Padstow on May Day accompanied by a host of drummers, musicians and dancers. before finally ‘dying’ at midnight. The first documentary record of this custom dates from 1803.

World Gurning Championships, Egremont
Gurning (or ‘girning’) was a widespread dialect word, from the same root as ‘grinning’, originally signifying ‘snarling’ or ‘baring the teeth in rage’. However, when it was adopted as an entertainment or competition at fairs, gurning took on the meaning of ‘pulling funny or ugly faces’. The Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria was established in 1267, making it one of the oldest fairs in the world. Each September it holds the World Gurning Championships where each contestant’s face is framed within a large horse collar.

Up Helly Aa, Lerwick
An impressive and famous fire festival which is more than 100 years old takes place in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of January. People in dress parade through the Shetland town, carrying blazing torches including the Guizer Squad in full Viking attire. A full size wooden Viking longship (built over the preceding year) is pulled through the town and is later ceremonially burned as part of the festivities.

Cheese Rolling, Cooper’s Hill, Brockworth
Chasing a large cheese (or similar round object) down a hill was a widespread game at fairs and wakes in the past. At Cooper’s Hill near Brockworth in Gloucestershire, the fair has long gone, but the rolling game continues every Spring Bank Holiday. None of the contestants has much hope of catching up with the cheese but the first to reach the bottom of the hill wins the prize.

Halloween, Derry/Londonderry
Halloween’s origins are in the Celtic festival of Samhain and a tradition of dressing up and calling at houses for gifts has been common for many centuries. The world’s biggest Halloween Party is in Derry/Londonderry which now welcomes around 80,000 people. It involves parades, fancy dress, ghost walks, fireworks and was named as the world’s best Halloween celebration by a poll for USA Today.

Horn Dance, Abbots Bromley
This famous and ancient custom is unique in Europe. Six men carrying huge reindeer antlers plus characters dressed as Maid Marian, Fool, Hobby Horse and Bowman, celebrate ancient hunting rites. They perambulate the Staffordshire parish and at set places perform a dance. The design of the costumes and the dance have been preserved for hundreds of years, with the earliest reference to the horns dating from the 1630s. The horns have been carbon dated to around 1000 AD.

Bog Snorkelling, Llanwrtyd Wells
First held in 1976 the event involves contestants going across and back through a water-filled trench in a peat bog, with the fastest being the winner. Competitors from all over the world travel to the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells each August to take part. Snorkels are essential as participants must remain submerged and only use flippers to propel themselves. This is an excellent example of a modern calendar custom based on a unique sporting event.

U.S. Scott Catalogue Update (August 2019)

Posted on August 7, 2019 by VSC

5392 (55¢) U.S.S. Missouri
5393 (55¢) Pres. George Herbert Walker Bush

5394 Sesame Street Characters pane of 16
a. (55¢) Big Bird
b. (55¢) Ernie
c. (55¢) Bert
d. (55¢) Cookie Monster
e. (55¢) Rosita
f. (55¢) The Count
g. (55¢) Oscar the Grouch
h. (55¢) Abby Cadabby
i. (55¢) Herry Monster
j. (55¢) Julia
k. (55¢) Guy Smiley
l. (55¢) Snuffleupagus
m. (55¢) Elmo
n. (55¢) Telly
o. (55¢) Grover
p. (55¢) Zoe

5395 (55¢) Pacific Tree Frog
5396 (55¢) Northern Leopard Frog
5397 (55¢) American Green Tree Frog
5398 (55¢) Squirrel Tree Frog
a. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5395-5398

RW86 $25 Wood Duck and Decoy Hunting Permit Stamp, self-adhesive
RW86A $25 Wood Duck and Decoy Hunting Permit Stamp, self-adhesive, souvenir sheet of 1

Australia Post Seeks Rate Hike

Posted on August 6, 2019 by VSC

[press release]
Australia Post proposes 10 cent stamp price increase to support the sustainability of community post

Australia Post has lodged a draft notification with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) seeking an increase in the Basic Postage Rate (BPR) from $1 to $1.10 to apply from January 2020, the first increase in four years.

This proposed increase, along with efficiency savings across the operational network, reflects a balanced approach to ensuring a sustainable community post service. The proposed increase would cost the average household, which regularly sends letters, less than $1.50 per year.

It will help keep Post Offices open – including Australia Post’s vital regional and rural network – keep posties delivering five days a week and ensure Australians everywhere can continue to access these important services.

Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Christine Holgate said importantly the 60 cent price of concession stamps would be protected and available to 5.7 million Australians, including pensioners and veterans, and the 65 cent seasonal greeting card stamps will stay the same.

“In the last financial year, we delivered a profit in-line with that three years earlier. We did this with 820 million less letters delivered to over 700,000 more homes,” Ms Holgate said.

“Our posties deliver to more than 12.1 million addresses across the country. It doesn’t matter if they have one letter or 100 for the address, they still need to drive past the letterbox each day.

“Last year our letters business lost $190 million – this is after the benefit of significant efficiency savings. It is important that we responsibly address pricing if we are to protect this important service and keep our network of community post offices open.”

Business and government customers, who send around 97 per cent of all mail in Australia, will continue to receive incentives to encourage them to use mail as part of their communication strategy. Charities will also continue to receive significant discounts off the BPR.

Since the last BPR increase in January 2016, the General Retail Industry Award has risen by 13 per cent, as well as many of Australia Post’s other costs.

[For U.S. readers, $1.10 Australian dollars is about 74¢ U.S. —VSC]

Jenny Invert Disappointment

Posted on August 3, 2019 by VSC

It only took American Philatelic Society executives a moment to know: The “rare Jenny invert” owned by a small southwest Iowa aviation museum was a fake — and not even a good one.

“It wasn’t even close,” APS chief operating officer Ken Martin told The Virtual Stamp Club. “It was the size of the Dolley Madison or Windmill stamps,” which were smaller than most definitives, and only about 60% the size of real C3a Jenny Invert, such as the one shown here..

In addition, the Scott catalogue number (“C3a” was printed underneath the design, and the image was flat: The perforations weren’t real, but part of the printing. Martin speyculates the illustration may have been taken from The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps, at one time sold in most post offices.

The Iowa Aviation Museum in Greenfield had had the stamp on display for more than 20 years, glued to a board. It had been told by the original donor that it was a valuable rare stamp.

The museum first contacted the Philatelic Foundation, but decided not to submit the stamp to PF. According to its website, PF’s fee would have been at least $1,000. Instead, at the suggestion of a local stamp collector, museum officials brought it to the APS convention in Omaha, about 80 miles away.

Stamp collectors know the whereabouts of all but one or two of the 100 Jenny Inverts found in 1918. The 24-cent stamp shows a JN-4-H bi-wing aircraft upside down.

The museum had hoped to sell the stamp, which if genuine would have fetched $300,000 and up, and use the money to build a new hangar.

“I felt so bad for them,” APS executive director Scott English told the VSC.

After explaining to museum officials why the stamp wasn’t real, the APS officials showed them a genuine Jenny Invert, which the organization is exhibiting at its convention.

U.S. Postal Museum Honors Klug, Shreve, Helu

Posted on August 3, 2019 by VSC

[press release]
National Postal Museum Announces Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award Recipients
Alfredo Harp Helú, Janet R. Klug and Charles F. Shreve Will Receive Award Oct. 19

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum has announced the 2019 Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award recipients, Alfredo Harp Helú, Janet R. Klug and Charles F. Shreve. They will be honored at a gala at the museum Oct. 19.

The Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award (SPAA) was established in 2002 to honor and celebrate living individuals for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of philately. This achievement may include original research that significantly advances the understanding of philately, exceptional service to the philatelic community or sustained promotion of philately to the benefit of current and future collectors.

“The National Postal Museum is honored to present this prestigious award to these distinguished individuals,” said Elliot Gruber, director of the museum. “This lifetime achievement award recognizes their exceptional service to the international philatelic community, to the benefit of current and future collectors.”

The SPAA award medallion is a 3-inch, gold-plated bronze disc depicting a sunburst with eight straight and eight wavy rays. Derived from the family coat of arms of James Smithson, founding benefactor of the Smithsonian Institution, the sunburst became the Institution’s official seal June 3, 1966, and is incorporated into the official flag flown by Smithsonian facilities and Smithsonian-sponsored expeditions throughout the world. As such, it is a universally recognized symbol of enlightenment and learning that links the Smithsonian’s history with its future. The medallion is suspended from a grosgrain neck ribbon in Smithsonian blue and yellow.

“I am excited that the Smithsonian Institution is honoring these three talented collectors,” said Donald Sundman, chair of the museum’s Council of Philatelists. “They have shared their profound love of stamps and collecting in different ways, helping people around the world enjoy the great hobby of stamp collecting.”

A special website provides information about the SPAA gala event, including information on purchasing tickets to attend the event.

About the recipients:

Alfredo Harp Helú, Mexico (born 1944), is the founder and philanthropist behind Latin America’s only philatelic museum, the Museo de Filatelia de Oaxaca (MUFI). An accomplished, lifelong philatelist who possessed a complete collection of stamps of Mexico, Helú was inspired by two foundational experiences in the mid-1990s. The first was a visit to then-recently opened National Postal Museum. The second was his participation in a temporary exhibition on the numismatics and philately of Oaxaca State, organized in 1996 by the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca.

These experiences led Helú to create a permanent philatelic museum as a way to share his personal collection and passion for philately with the Mexican people in an atmosphere promoting reflection and coexistence through stamps, art and culture. Toward this goal, the Fundación Alfredo Harp Helú Oaxaca (FAHHO) purchased and restored a colonial-era house at 504 Calle Reforma in the historical city center of Oaxaca, and MUFI was inaugurated July 9, 1998. The museum is free and open to the public seven days per week, professionally managed and curated by FAHHO-sponsored staff.

Helú donated his personal collection to the museum; his initial gift has since been augmented by dozens of other collectors from around the world so that the museum’s holdings are now worldwide in scope. In addition, MUFI has a research library of more than 6,000 books named for Mexican philatelist Jose Lorenzo Cossío y Cosío, whose personal library forms the core of the collection.

MUFI has become a cultural center of Oaxaca State, hosting philately clubs for children and adults, lectures, book presentations, concerts and other events. The museum mounts multiple temporary exhibitions each year and has hosted several Mexico-Elmhurst Philatelic Society, International (MEPSI) conventions in Oaxaca, most recently in 2018. To accommodate the increased activity and growth, in 2000 FAHHO remodeled the building at 500 Calle Reforma and added it to the original museum. The purchase and rehabilitation of a third, adjoining building is currently underway.

Janet R. Klug, FRPSL, United States (born 1950), has said she “never met a stamp she didn’t like.” A collector from the age of 6, her specialized exhibits of Tonga, Samoa, Malaya and Japan under Australian occupation have won a World Series of Philately show grand, a grand prix national in Australia, and an international one-frame gold.

Klug promotes philately to a wide audience by writing about stamp collecting in an accessible, uncomplicated style attractive to beginners. Her “Refresher Course” and “Stamp Excursions” columns have appeared in Linn’s Stamp News since 2002. She wrote a “Down Under” column for Scott Stamp Monthly from 1999 to 2010 and the “Starting Point” column for The American Philatelist from 1998 to 2003. Her book-length publications include Catalog of Tin Can Mail Cachets of the Tonga Islands (1984), 100 Greatest American Stamps (2007) (co-authored with Donald J. Sundman) and Guide to Stamp Collecting (2008).

Klug was appointed a member (2010–2014) of the U.S. Postal Service Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee by Postmaster General John Potter and was named chair (2014–present) by Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. She was vice chair of the National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists (2003–2007) and chair of its New Initiatives Committee (2009–2013). She served the American Philatelic Society (APS) as an officer for 10 consecutive years as secretary (1997–2001), vice president (2001–2003) and president (2003–2007). She was chair of the APS Committee on Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges (1999–2003) and was herself an accredited judge 1991–2015.

Klug has previously been recognized with the Philadelphia National Stamp Exhibition Lifetime Achievement Award (2007), the APS Writers Unit Hall of Fame (2010), the St. Louis Stamp Expo’s Elizabeth C. Pope Award for Lifetime Contributions to Philately (2011), a Daniel W. Vooys Fellowship at the American Philatelic Research Library (2012) and the Luff Award for Outstanding Service to the APS (2014).

Charles F. Shreve, FRPSL, United States (born 1954), started collecting stamps at age 12 and was soon working at a local stamp shop on Saturdays to pay for his purchases. While still a teenager, he became an apprentice auction lot describer for Roger Koerber Auctions in Southfield, Michigan. He joined Sotheby Parke Bernet Stamp Auction Company in 1977 and left in 1980 to lead Steve Ivy Philatelic Auctions Inc., ultimately becoming a partner in Ivy, Shreve and Mader, one of the largest stamp auction houses in the country. He left to form Shreves Philatelic Galleries Inc. in 1994 and oversaw its sale to Spink and Son Ltd. of London in 2007, becoming president of Spink Shreves Galleries. Since 2012, Shreve has been a director of Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries Inc. with responsibility for its international division.

Using modern marketing techniques, Shreve is credited with essentially revolutionizing the way rare stamps were presented and sold at high-profile, international auctions. He also was the first stamp auctioneer to conduct his auctions live on the internet, making stamps accessible to collectors around the world.

Shreve has led major philanthropic campaigns in philately, helping to raise substantial sums for the hobby, including millions for the National Postal Museum’s William H. Gross Stamp Gallery. He spearheaded a $1 million fundraising campaign in 2000 to help refurbish the historic Collectors Club townhouse in New York City and also served as the Development Chair for World Stamp Show–NY2016.

A member of the National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists since 2001, Shreve is chair of the Council’s Advancement Committee. He is an expert consultant to, and member of the board of trustees of, the Philatelic Foundation and was a member of the board of governors of the Collectors Club of New York (1999–2013). He is a fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London and a Daniel W. Vooys Fellow of the American Philatelic Research Library (2011), in addition to life memberships in the American Stamp Dealers Association, American Philatelic Society and U.S. Philatelic Classics Society. His other memberships include the American Revenue Association, Carriers and Locals Society and the Philatelic Traders Society (London).

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at www.postalmuseum.si.edu.

Locomotive in Omaha for Stamp Show?

Posted on August 2, 2019 by VSC

The Union Pacific’s Big Boy, the largest steam locomotive in the world, arrived in Omaha midways through APS StampShow/ATA National Topical Stamp Show, and is parked about four blocks from the convention center where the show is being held.It will be open to the public Saturday, but dozens of people gathered on a hillside off Abbott Drive, just yards from the Iowa border, to get a preview. Some parked their cars in the right lane of the thoroughfare. Others walked to see this huge 4-8-8-4 engine. According to Wikipedia, there are eight of these locomotives still in existence, of 25 built between 1941 and 1944, and in-service until 1959. This is the only one operating, restored and again rolling in May 2019, in time for the sesquicentennial of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. UP’s headquarters are here in Omaha; the Transcontinental Railroad’s eastern terminus was also here.

The Union Pacific’s westward line met the Central Pacific Railroad’s eastward trackage from Sacramento in Promontory Summit, Utah. The U.S. Postal Service issued three stamps on May 10, 2019, to commemorate the historic event.

$25,000 Donation To Boston 2026

Posted on August 2, 2019 by VSC

[press release]
Philatelic Foundation Donates $25K to Boston 2026

Robert G. Rose, Chairman of the Board of The Philatelic Foundation, presented a $25,000 check to Nancy B. Clark, President of Boston 2026 World Expo with Mark A. Butterline, Executive Director, and Yamil H. Kouri, Commissioner General, at APS StampShow/NTSS in Omaha on Friday, August 2.

The PF was founded almost 75 years ago by a group of dedicated philatelists who recognized the need to establish a not for profit educational organization dedicated to expertizing and authenticating stamps and covers. Today, with the experience gained from having issued over 555,000 certificates, the PF makes its knowledge available through its print and on-line resources, public programs, exhibits and access to its hi-tech analytical equipment.

Elaborating on the donation, Chairman Rose said, “The PF supports Boston 2026 because our Board believes that the future of organized philately requires the support of all organizations to make the show a success and to secure our hobby into the future.”

President Clark followed up saying, “Boston 2026 is grateful for the support of the Philatelic Foundation, helping to make this country’s next international philatelic exhibition a major success. Boston 2026 hopes to secure the future of the hobby not only nationally but internationally. It takes a group effort, and the Philatelic Foundation’s sponsorship is a significant step in making this happen.”

America’s twelfth international philatelic exhibition takes place in late May 2026 at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center. Find out more online at boston2026.org.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (U.S. 2019)

Posted on August 1, 2019 by VSC

This semi-postal stamp is rumored for December, replacing the Alzheimer’s semi-postal. It is one of the “discretionary” semi-postals whose subject the USPS is allowed to pick. (An earlier report that it would be announced was in error.)

Updated November 8th: The stamp was finally announced on this date. Large version of the design follows the press release.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Announces Healing PTSD Semipostal Fundraising Stamp
Dedication Ceremony Will Be Held Dec. 2

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced that a semipostal stamp to help raise funds for those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is being issued Dec. 2 at McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square in Charlotte, NC.

The Healing PTSD semipostal stamp features a photographic illustration of a green plant sprouting from the ground, which is covered in fallen leaves. The image is intended to symbolize the PTSD healing process. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Mark Laita.

Tens of millions of Americans will experience PTSD in their lifetimes. Today, the nation is increasingly dedicated to compassionately treating this mental health issue.

While post-traumatic disorders have long been a subject of study, PTSD was not officially added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a widely used reference guide published by the American Psychiatric Association, until the late 20th century.

The condition develops in some children and adults who have survived a traumatic event. Experiences such as a natural disaster, car accident, physical or sexual assault, abuse, and combat, among others, can trigger PTSD.

When the Healing PTSD semipostal stamp becomes available, it will be sold for 65 cents. The price includes the first-class single-piece postage rate in effect at the time of purchase plus an amount to fund PTSD research. By law, revenue from sales of the Healing PTSD semipostal stamp — minus the postage paid and the reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred by the Postal Service — will be distributed to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Semipostal Authorization Act, Pub. L. 106–253, grants the U.S. Postal Service discretionary authority to issue and sell semipostal stamps to advance such causes as it considers to be ‘‘in the national public interest and appropriate.’’ Under the program, the Postal Service intends to issue semipostal stamps over a 10-year period, with each stamp to be sold for no more than two years. The Alzheimer’s semipostal stamp, issued Nov. 30, 2017, was the first. The Healing PTSD semipostal stamp is the second. Additional discretionary semipostal stamps have not yet been determined.

Under the Act, the Postal Service will consider proposals for future semipostals until May 20, 2023. The Federal Register notice outlining this program can be found at the following url: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-04-20/pdf/2016-09081.pdf.

Proposals will only be considered if they meet all submission requirements and selection criteria. They may be submitted by mail to the following address:

Office of Stamp Services
Attn: Semipostal Discretionary Program
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260–3501

Suggestions may also be submitted in a single Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file sent by email to semipostal@usps.gov. Indicate in the Subject Line: Semipostal Discretionary Program.

Further updates will appear below this line, with the most recent at the top:

Updated January 4, 2020: The Scott Catalogue number for this semipostal issue is B7.

Updated December 5th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.80″ x 1.15″The Pictorial measures 2.73″ x 1.34″

Updated November 18th:

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Issuing Healing PTSD Semipostal Stamp Dec. 2

What: With this semipostal stamp, the U.S. Postal Service will raise funds to help treat those impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder (PSD). The stamp features a photo illustration of a green plant sprouting from the ground, which is covered in fallen leaves. The image is intended to symbolize the PTSD healing process, growth and hope. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Mark Laita.

The stamp dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #HealingPTSDStamp and #semipostalStamps.

Who:

Hon. David C. Williams, Vice Chairman, Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service and Dedicating Official
Koby J. Langley, Senior Vice President, American Red Cross
Chuck Denny, Founder, The American Veteran Foundation
Dan Miller, Wounded Warriors Project
Donald Tyson, President, Charlotte Chapter, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Dr. Paula Schnurr, Executive Director, National Center for PTSD
Maureen O’Boyle, Primetime News Anchor, WBTV, Charlotte, NC, and Emcee

When: Monday, Dec. 2, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. EST

Where: McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square
345 N. College Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/ptsd.

Background:
Tens of millions of Americans will experience PTSD in their lifetimes. Today, the nation is increasingly dedicated to compassionately treating this mental health issue.

Many kinds of trauma can lead people to experience persistent symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and difficulty sleeping. Depression, anxiety, and fear can also occur. Though these symptoms may initially interrupt one’s daily life, for most people they typically dissipate over time. However, if these problems continue for more than a month, PTSD may have developed. Symptoms associated with the disorder often can be broken down into four categories: avoidance, hyperarousal, increased negative beliefs and feelings, and reliving.

The two most common treatments for PTSD are medication and psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy. The disorder cuts across demographic lines, though women are at a greater risk than men. Women are more than twice as likely as men to suffer PTSD at some point in their lives.
Sold at a price of 65 cents per First-Class stamp, the PTSD stamp is a semipostal. The price of a semipostal stamp pays for the First-Class single-piece postage rate in effect at the time of purchase plus an amount to fund causes that have been determined to be in the national public interest. By law, revenue from sales (minus postage and the reasonable reimbursement of costs to the Postal Service) is to be transferred to a selected executive agency or agencies. Net proceeds from this stamp will be distributed to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which oversees the National Center for PTSD.

Updated November 8th: Click here to hear acting Director of USPS Stamp Services Bill Gicker describe for The Virtual Stamp Club the challenges of designing a PTSD stamp, in a 25-second mp3 file.

Updated November 21st:
On December 2, 2019, in Charlotte, NC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Healing PTSD semipostal stamp (Non-denominated, First-Class Mail® priced at 65 cents) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 572100). The stamp will go on sale nationwide December 2, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

With this semipostal stamp, the United States Postal Service will raise funds to help treat those impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The stamp features a photo illustration of a green plant sprouting from the ground, which is covered in fallen leaves. The image is intended to symbolize the PTSD healing process, growth, and hope. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Mark Laita.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 572100, Healing PTSD Semipostal (Non-denominated, First-Class Mail priced at 65 cents) PSA Pane of 20 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

Sales Policy:
As has been the case with current and previous semipostal stamp issues, all Post Offices must maintain a sufficient inventory level of this item until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale. The Healing PTSD semipostal stamp is supported by a variety of organizations and individuals who expect the stamp to be available at all Post Offices. If supplies run low, Post Offices must reorder additional quantities using normal ordering procedures.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Healing PTSD Semipostal Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by April 2, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Healing PTSD Semipostal Stamp
Item Number: 572100
Denomination & Type of Issue: Non-denominated, First-Class Mail (65 cents)
Format: Pane of 20 (one design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: December 2, 2019, Charlotte, NC 28204
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Photographer: Mark Laita, Culver City, CA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 40,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.336 x 36.068 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.5 x 7.67 in./165.1 x 194.818 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: • Plate number four corners
Back: • ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (572100) • Promotional text • Plate position diagram

Updated December 4th:
A computer glitch prevented this stamp from being sold at most post offices on the first day (December 2nd), reports Linn’s Stamp News. When window clerks scanned the bar code into their terminals, they got a message that the code had been rejected.

When the stamp bar codes are scanned, the sales are tracked. This is particularly important for semi-postal issues like PTSD, explains Michael Baadke in Linn’s, because ten cents of the price of each stamp goes toward a charity — in this case, the National Center for PTSD. The problem was cleared up in a few hours, and did not affect stamp sales at the first day ceremony in Charlotte.

Hotchner: Benefits of Getting Organized

Posted on July 30, 2019 by VSC

By John M. Hotchner

The thrill of the chase often ends with a long sought pur- chase, and then begins the fun. The thrill of the chase beckons again, and the new purchase goes in a box to be put into the album some rainy day when there is nothing else to do. The problem is that it is far more satisfying to own something than to do the work to get it where it belongs. So, often times the box gets full of sets, mixtures, and covers; which spawns other boxes, and a few years down the road, a closet full.

If you are among the collectors who go from dealer or mail box directly to your album, I congratulate you. You don’t need this column and you can move on to the next article. But if you are less diligent, and need a prod to prevent sloth and get organized, perhaps the following may be helpful.

My confession: I know whereof I speak. I am part sloth. My own method is to have a row of Kleenex boxes; each labeled with the name of a country or subject that I collect. But that is where my organizing stops. I can go years before a box gets to the point of overflowing and something must be done. Of course by that time, I have usually forgotten what is in the bottom of the box, and clearing the box and checking its contents against the catalogue and album has achieved major project status— something that, depending upon the complexity of the country I’m working with, Chinese overprints for example—may take literally weeks of my not so copious spare time to accomplish.

Had I done them as I got them, the looming hulk of a project could have been avoided. But oh, how easy it is to put off to tomorrow what I don’t feel like doing today.

The logic is inescapable. It just makes more sense to get things into the album as rapidly as possible. And maybe a review of the logic will be useful to you; recognizing that sloth has a tendency to overcome logic. In my mature years, I have gotten better, but I have a way to go!

So, here are a baker’s dozen benefits of avoiding sloth:

If you know what you have, you won’t buy it again. How many times have you thought, “I think I have that but I’m not sure. It’s a good price (or a premier copy) so I better pick it up just in case.” Then somewhere down the road, you discover that you have four of the item!
If you know what you need, not only to fill holes but to improve condition, you can home in on offerings and not waste time on poking through material you don’t need.
It is actually fun to put items into your album, and a joy to fill in and complete a set or a page. Why deny yourself or delay that sense of accomplishment?
It is always easier to deal with a small task than to let it become one that looks overwhelming as you face it.
By identifying what you need right out of the gate, and just as importantly, what is excess, allows you to trade off or sell what you can make some bucks on. Few of us have unlimited resources, so some inflow of dollars will often permit you to hunt for more material.
I have seen in my time as an appraiser too many instances where boxes and closets of accumulated material costs the collector or the collector’s heirs significant sums. Why? Because there were pearls hidden among the swine (not to criticize pigs—a fine and useful animal). But a dealer, an auctioneer, or an appraiser may not have the time to open every envelope, assess perforations and watermarks, and thus identify goodies that are not marked as such. At least in their proper place in an album, they will be more obvious.
If you or your heirs have to pay for the time it takes to do a thorough evaluation of a “mess”, literally hundreds if not thousands of dollars can be added to the bill. And if the col- lection is substantial, it may have to be inventoried with some accuracy as part of probate.
One of the fun parts of checking new acquisitions against the catalogue and your album is that once in a while you will find something that is a listed variety; most often worth more than the routine version. The accumulation-in-a-box method at best delays those finds.
When YOU know what you have, you are in a position to brief your heirs and assigns about the value of your collec- tion, where to find the good stuff, and what to do with it. Too often I have seen an ill-prepared spouse make a bee-line for the trash compactor with a collection that could have realized real money; let alone that this wanton destruction deprives the hobby of significant collectible material. Their aim is to get their closet back and they have no idea of the potential value of the collection. It might as well be old floor sweepings.
In general, you will have a happier spouse or significant other. Piles of box lots in the corner of the spare bedroom, on the dining room table, or eating up closet space, is often an affront to the senses; if not yours then the person or people with whom you live. Organizing to the point of album checking tends to reduce consumption of space to what is essential, and an organized collection is much easier on the eyes.
If you are organized, and everything is in its rightful place, you can find things. This is especially meaningful to me and to other authors who just know we have something that is needed as an illustration, and have to “waste” hours looking for it. Infuriating! Ditto for exhibitors who discover a need for an item to complete a page, know they have it, but can’t find it.
You will be more attractive to dealers who always ap- preciate a customer who knows what s/he wants, can state it, evaluate rapidly what the dealer has on offer, and if there is a match, make a decision without shilly-shallying.
One of the benefits of the hobby, and a reason why it is attractive to many collectors, is that a major activity of the collector is to bring order out of chaos. Our hobby becomes a way that we can exercise some level of control in a world which seems quite out of control—because, in fact, it is. We lose that benefit when a jumble of philatelic material becomes overwhelming.

So, there you have it. Organize and you will be doing yourself a favor!

Should you wish to comment on this column, or have questions or ideas you would like to have explored in a future column, please write to John Hotchner, VSC Contributor, P.O. Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125, or email, putting “VSC” in the subject line.

Or comment right here.

Motorcycles (Republika Srpska 2019)

Posted on July 30, 2019 by VSC

The Republic of Srpska, one of two political entities in Bosnia-Herzegovina, issued five motorcycle stamps on July 25th. The Republic’s English-language website can be found here but it does not appear to have been updated recently. The philatelic part of the Serbian, Bosnian or Croatian-language of the site is here but as of the 30th did not yet list the motorcycles stamps.